Zheng Lun

Zheng Lun
Character Information
Allegiance(s):	Shang Dynasty Ji Fa's forces
Element:	Metal
Initial Weapon:	Club
First Appearance:	Fengshen Yanyi
Mythological Information
Real name:	Zhèng Lún
Chinese/Japanese:	鄭倫 - 郑伦
Also known as:	Tei Rin
Divine name(s):	God of Heng Heng Ha Erjiang
He shares his godly rank with Chen Qi in the novel.

Zheng Lun is Su Hu's enthusiastic vassal. He joins Taigong Wang at the same time as his master.

Role in Game

Huang Feihu, hoping to talk with Su Hu without bloodshed, walks towards his friend's post expecting a warm greeting. Su Hu, who anticipated his arrival, asks Zheng Lun to calmly invite their guest inside. Regardless of his master's clear order, Zheng Lun missed the part about welcoming Huang Feihu and immediately comes to the conclusion that their visitor is "an infidel". Coming to the front gate with six guards in tow, Zheng Lun declares the command to capture the startled Huang Feihu and uses his paopei to immobilize him without further delay. Proudly walking in with the intruder bound in ropes, Su Hu scolds his fool-hearty vassal for his rudeness and the ropes are quickly untied. After listening to the exchange between his master and guest, Zheng Lun apologizes to them for his actions at the gate. He gladly volunteers to protect Su Hu from danger when the general decides to leave his post.

When Ji Fa assumes the throne as the land's new leader, Zheng Lun departs with his master to leave on a personal journey. They both plan to watch over the new serenity in the land.

Personality

Overzealous for his duty and training, Zheng Lun is a devoted and empathetic subordinate to Su Hu. Perhaps too eager for his own good, he hastens to fulfill his master's orders at every opportunity without listening to all the details. This leads to him being chided for his goofs, but he'd rather live up to his efforts and learn from his mistakes for the future. When he heard about the death of the real Da Ji, he also expressed his heartfelt regret for losing the kind maiden.

He is proud of his paopei as he has used it countless times to defend the Su family. He even uses the treasure while talking in his sleep, which unintentionally causes a slight ruckus in Taigong Wang's camp.

Fighting Style

Zheng Lun is a faster version of Su Hu who specializes in magic more so than his master. He additionally has a good defense and health, making him adequate for participating in mid-ranged encounters. While not the fastest character or the greatest spell caster, he has a good amount of luck that can help his critical attacks and success rate with his magic.

His default paopei is fired in a long, straight line. Its beam has the random ability to inhibit the movements and/or actions of anything it touches, affecting friend and foe for the blast. While its usefulness may vary based on the luck of its user, the beam can work against even the master taoists in the game.

The following lists his starting weapon and magic proficiencies.

Sword - n/a

Spear - 1/6

Club - 2/7

Bow - n/a

Earth - n/a

Healing - n/a

Illusion - n/a

Chi - 2/6

Fengshen Yanyi

Zheng Lun is introduced early in the novel during Su Hu's revolt in chapter 3. He had an angular face with skin matching the color of a date and had a red beard. His hair was golden and bristled like miniature needles. Raised by Su Hu since his youth, he spent many years training under Due Zhenren. However, because he had no sacrum and was destined to be a part of the gods, he returned to the mortal realm and resumed his duties beside Su Hu. Zheng Lun could command an army of crow soldiers and fought with two divine bars. He had the unique ability to create a soul sucking light by firing the beams from his nostrils, instantly making those within the beams' reach unconscious or immobilized.

When Chong Heihu besieged his master's reign, Su Hu was dispirited due to cut food supplies and the imprisonment of his son. To bolster morale, Zheng Lun bravely volunteered to deal with Chong Heihu, offering his head if he should fail. Shouting in defense for his master's cause, he infuriated the Shang general to meet him in combat. Realizing the magical potential stored within Chong Heihu's gourd, Zheng Lun used his soul sucking light to disable his opponent. He then brought back his opponent as a prisoner, who was quickly exalted as an honored guest.

He followed his lord several chapters later to lay siege to Jiang Ziya's army. Sensing that his lord wanted to surrender immediately, Zheng Lun instead pressed for an attack as he labeled Jiang Ziya to be a deceitful traitor. He also didn't want to abandon his duty to the throne or his honor as a warrior. Hearing that Huang Feihu had captured one of their generals, Zhao Bing, Zheng Lun presented the news and spun it to disfavor Huang Feihu as a brutish rebel. A contemplative Su Hu agreed to the request for attack, sending Zheng Lun to capture Huang Feihu. Although he was eager to kill in battle, Zheng Lun gladly obliged and Su Hu, who originally wanted to negotiate with the general, instead became infuriated by the rebel's actions and disrespect. Huang Tianhua tried to avenge his father's capture but suffered the same fate of imprisonment.

Convinced by his vassal's bravery in the field, Su Hu then justified his actions as beneficial for he and his men and tightened the assault. Jiang Ziya realized that negotiations would have to wait and sent Earth Traveler Sun and Deng Chanyu to the front. Zheng Lun countered them and fought a short bout with the husband. Successfully defeating Earth Traveler Sun and inflated with pride, he suffered a wound to his forehead when he tried to do the same with the wife. Bitterly humiliated to have scowled in pain from the maiden's attack, he was able to bring Earth Traveler Sun back to Su Hu. The slippery taoist master escaped his execution by tunneling underground, and Zheng Lun suffered broken bones and dignity when his soul sucking light didn't affect Nezha the following day.

Realizing that perhaps they were outmatched against the mystical members in Jiang Ziya's army, Su Hu again considered surrender. Moved by the sorrow his master expressed for his state, Zheng Lun knew Su Hu was only thinking of the safety of his men. However, Zheng Lun refused to throw away his warrior's pride and sought to continue the attack. Su Hu was aware of his retainer's resolve and amended his ties to Huang Feihu in hopes to quicken the peace talks. Before Su Hu's plans could come to fruit, a taoist named Lu Yue and his four disciples came at the behest of Shen Gongbao to their camp. Instantly healing Zheng Lun's wounds with a single drop of water, the awful restoration made the general delighted with Lu Yue. He declared himself Lu Yue's disciple and gladly adhered to him rather than Su Hu. With Zheng Lun's support, Lu Yue soon became the de facto leader of the Shang army and the major impediment to the peace talks that Su Hu and Huang Feihu wanted. Zheng Lun supported Lu Yue's attack on West Qi, even if he did question his master's idea to not capture a single foe when they pushed back Jiang Ziya's army during their first confrontation. During their following confrontation, Zheng Lun spotted Huang Tianhua free on the battlefield and trying to return to Jiang Ziya. While he cursed his prisoner being freed -likely by Su Hu, he also thought that this was his chance to deal with the young man immediately. As he moved to strike Huang Tianhua down, Zheng Lun was intercepted by Nezha, who beat him back effortlessly.

When Lu Yue and his other four disciples failed in their ploys and lost their lives, Su Hu approached Zheng Lun once more to think of the best for their men and submit. Zheng Lun reasoned with his lord that his plan would never work and dissuaded him once more, again placing his reputation and pride before the benefits of surrender. Their plans regarding their fate were put on hold when Yin Hong, one of the rogue sons of King Zhou, appeared to their camp to offer assistance. Su Hu, with the prince's reputation as his inspiration, joined the prince's decision to attack. Zheng Lun announced the prince's party to West Qi's gate as he marched to meet Huang Feihu -previously freed during the other conflicts- and his sons at West Qi. Even after their sting of losses against Jiang Ziya's army, Zheng Lun believed that one could not win a great reputation without facing a large obstacle and persevered.

As Prince Yin Hong and his taoist generals suffered defeat, Su Hu resolved to finally give in and force Zheng Lun to do the same. Knowing that his head-strong vassal would never consent on his own will, Su Hu secretly deployed a messenger to Jiang Ziya requesting the safety of him and his family. Zheng Lun, suspecting a plot, requested immediate assistance from their kingdom yet his wishes were defied by Su Hu. Though he knew victory at this point was close to impossible, he refused to bow down to Jiang Ziya and sent his own messenger unit during the night in desperation for reinforcements. The following morning the Shang camp was raided at dawn by Huang Feihu and Deng Jiugong, the latter succeeding in capturing Zheng Lun. Their valiant display made the remaining Shang troops scatter with fright and Zheng Lun was brought before Jiang Ziya.

Refusing to bow or acknowledge the Prime Minister, Jiang Ziya implored why Zheng Lun was voluntarily acting to have his life end with his rudeness rather than to continue using his talents and live. Zheng Lun scathingly responded by calling Jiang Ziya a buffoonish traitor, declaring that a general of his stature would remain eternally loyal to his own king rather than side with Jiang Ziya. Angered by the retort, Jiang Ziya commanded for Zheng Lun to be beheaded at once. He was stopped by Su Hu, who begged pardon for his vassal's words and gained permission to convince Zheng Lun in private. Su Hu appealed to his general with empathy, using his own vassals' claim to never serve two lords in his lifetime as an incentive to change. He reasoned that King Zhou wasn't the man he once was and that Zheng Lun's talents would be wasted if he were to die for a decrepit ruler. He used Huang Feihu and other deserters as an example to King Zhou's inevitable downfall and pressed that Zheng Lun would have infinite chances to prove himself as a hero if he sided with Jiang Ziya. Zheng Lun listened to his master's word as if he were in a dream and, though hesitant to let go of his loyalty to King Zhou, found himself agreeing to Su Hu's sincere words. Presented once more to Jiang Ziya, Zheng Lun bowed on his knees, apologized for his rudeness, and expressed longing gratitude for the kindness he experienced. Jiang Ziya, though aware of the general's lingering loyalties to King Zhou, gladly welcomed Zheng Lun into Zhou's ranks and presented the new general before King Wu. A feast was then held in Zheng Lun's honor.

Soon after Huang Tianxiang's death, Zheng Lun returned for supplies and heard the manner of the young man's death from Huang Feihu. Astonished that another person possessed a similar ability as his, Zheng Lun desired to meet the lad's killer in combat. Therefore, he rushed to duel Chen Qi, an officer under Qiu Yin who could paralyze a foe with a yellow gas, the following day and fought him to stalemate. When both men used their immobilizing powers, they were both blown back by their blows and feel off their mounts. Though dazed by Chen Qi's retreat, Zheng Lun swore on his life to face the same man once more, intrigued by facing someone with an ability equal to his own. Riding with Nezha for the next assault, he dealt a decisive blow to Chen Qi and the mystical boy finished the general.

Zheng Lun would continue to fight for Jiang Ziya until he lost his life against Jin Dasheng in a duel. He was named the God of heng and was paired with Chen Qi, the God of ha, near the end of the novel. They are best known in modern times as the muscular and ferocious looking statues that stand at the front of many temples throughout East Asia.

Gallery

Fengshen Yanyi portraits